Hydraulic control for windows and the like



g- 1952 A. CUTHlLL ET AL V 2,607,195

HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOR WINDOWS AND THE LIKE Filed Jan. 15, 1945 4 INVENTORS f mist 1107a; 02/? 91%. 1/35 BY James (MAB/0am Patented Aug. 19, .1952

.HYDRAULIC CONTROL FOR WINDOWS AND vTHE LIKE I Annandale Cuth'illand James C; :McBroom, Los Angeles, Calif; said McBroom..assignor to said Cuthill Application January 15, 1945, Serial No. $72,838

. 'Our invention relates 'towindow constructions for-buildings oftall kinds.

This. application is a. continuation in part of ounce-pending application for Window Construction, Serial v.No. 299,452, filed October 14, 1939; 'whichterminated in- Patent Noe-12,371,154, issued March 13, 1945. r

- One of "the principal objects of this invention is to provide a novel and re1atively-simplehydraulic means for opening, closing, or adjusting windows, whether of "the conventional 'type, louver type, or the like. I

.4 Claims. (o1. cog-5.4.0)

Fig, :4 is an enlarged sectional view through the median portions of the master and one of the operating cylinders; I

. Fig. 5 is *a'transverse sectional view through one of the operatingcylinders, taken on line 5-5 c t-Fig.4; and

Another-important object of this invention is tosprovide noveland simple hydraulic means for controllingloroperating, by a single means, a battery-of windows,..and also a novel and simple hydraulic means for remotely controlling-or operating windows of various kinds. 7 An important object also of this invention is to provide anovelly .constructed ma'ster control cylinder which :may be operated rapidly to open windows, and which-may be rapidly controlled for closing the windows, but in which the windows are closed gradually and by their own weight.

A further important object of this invention is to provide a novellyconstructed operating cylinder for. directly opening and closing the windows, but which is so constructed thatdirect operation or tampering with the windowsjother thanby means of the control cylinder, will not allow sufficient air to enter the line to permit operation'of the operating cylinder. t

Aistill further object of this invention is provide operating cylinders which are so constructed that the windows may not-be appreciably operated or tampered with without actuating or operating the operating cylinders.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, we have devised a windo'w construction :for buildings having certain 'novel features'of combination arrangement- 0f parts and portions, as will hereinafter be described detail and particularly .set forth inth appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the characters of reference there-- on, which form a part of this application, in which:

Fig. l is afragmentary elevation from the I be any-other suitable form'of hingex j Fig. dis a diagrammatic view showing the control. by a :master hydraulic cylinder, of the individual units for opening, closing, or adjusting separate windows. Y 1

"Our hydraulic control,"as shown in the drawing, is used in connection with a-WindoW-structure and is housed in a. window frame which-is constructed similarly to other windows for buildings- Within the frame is shown a louver like construction consisting of panels- 2, whichare preferably long transparent plates of glass sup ported at'the ends by brackets 3. i

- The "lower edge of each bracket is secured to one end of the panel or plate'2. Atone, that is, at ithe normally inner or'ro'om end of-the bracket is a "bearing pin '3 the same being shown as extending at right angles laterally or 'backwardly from the bracket.

The bearing pins 3 extend backwardl-y into sockets positioned in the side .of the window'frame' near' the inner or room side thereof, and-the substantially vertical depending positions. I

r If desired the bearing pivotsof the pnm may The bracket extends upwardly from the plate 2 and isprovided at'its extended" portion "with:

a baokwardly or laterally extending pivot pint: trunnion 4 whereby the bracketmay beshifted about the pivotal axisof the bearing pinf3fi. The

trunnions 4 extend backward y from vertically extending plate portions 3 of the brackets, intermediate the ends thereof.

7 At the opposite sides of the window frame are. located operating "member 5 which are .shiftable. vertically; These operating members are .pref erably flat strips and are positioned in conforming channels l''in the side elements of .the window frame. These strips are provided with substan tially transverse slots 5 into which the. trunnions,

4 extend. Thus when the operating members 5 areraised or lowered, the trunnions 4 may move inftheslots 5 for tilting the platesabout the piv,

otal axes without causing the operating members 5 to move laterally.

If desired the slots S -may be inclined-outward-= ly and downwardly to facilitate the opening and closing of the plates. I

The 1 operating members are shown I as slightly This slide has an inwardly ex end of a plunger 12, which forms a part of and is reciprocally mounted in a master hydraulic cylinder 13 rigidly mounted in the window frame. At each side of the window mean the inside of the side elements of the frame is an operating hydraulic cylinder [4, which is located in a recess at the lower end of the side element of the window frame and immediately behind the operating 7 member 5. Each cylinder is provided with a plunger l5 which is shown as directly connected to the inner side of the corresponding operating member 5. The lower end of the master hydraulic cylinder is connected by conduits l6 and H, to the operating hydraulic cylinders l4 at the opposite sides of the window frame. ;'-Ihus,.when the slide H is shifted downwardly, fluid is forced into the cylinder, l4, raising the operating membars 5 and opening thewindows, or as here shown, the window plates. the slide l l, or connected elements, to prevent the window plates from being opened, as will be described hereafter.

The operating members 5 are raised by fluid pressure in the hydraulic cylinders. To aid the downward shifting of these members, we have provided tension springs -'l to urge the members 5 downwardly whenthe pressure in the cylinders is released. In order to hold the slide in a certain A look may be provided on position, after having been shifted, we have provided transversely serrated engaging or other friction surfaces l and ll between the slide H and the portion of the frame l engaged by the slide.

At thehead end, that is, at the lower end of the cylinder [3, is provided a compartment or distributing manifold 13* which is connected directly to the conduits l6 and IT. The compartment i3 is separated from the pistonoperating portion of the cylinder by a wall l3 in which are provided alarge orifice l3 and smaller by-pass orifices [3% The port or orifice l3 is of larger diameter and is normally covered by a ball valve l3 which is forced against its seat or over the orificeby a spring [3 As the operating member or slide H is forced downwardly; which forces the piston l2 down: wardly into'the cylinder 13, the ball valve 13 is unseated, causing the operating fluid to be forced into the compartment I 3 through the port or orifices 13 and 13 When the operating memher or slide H is shifted to its closed position, the

piston [2 may be raised, but the rate of movement.

of the piston is retarded, due to the valve or ball l3 being seated, allowing the operating fluid to return to its main operating cylinder through.

the bypass orifices I 3 at a slow rate. 7

If desired, a resilient or yieldable means may be provided in the rod l2 connecting the piston l2with the operating slide il. Such yieldable connection may be provided by a spring 12?. provided between a shoulder l2 and the end of a loop [2 slidably embracing the rod 12 at 'a spaced distance from the shoulder l2.

In order to prevent air from entering the fluid line when suddenly operating the slide II for closing the windows, we have provided a piston means consisting of separate piston elements l5 and t5 which may engage each other end to end, or which may be separated, a slight separation being shown in Fig. 4. When desiring to open" the window, the piston element 5 is forced upwardly by the fluid pressure in the cylinder against the lower end of the element l5", forcing the same upwardly and the operating member 5 upwardly. The operating slide I], however, may withdraw the element [5 allowing the element [5 to follow more slowly for gradually closing the windows.

The element I 5 is split in an overlapping mannor, in which the overlapped portions are arranged ata slight angle, providing cooperating wedge surfaces and enlarged or dovetail portions l5 and I5. Thus, when it is attempted to open the window from the outside or from the window itself, the angular surface of the wedge or dovetail portion 15 engages the adjacent wedge surface of the dovetail portion 15, causing a wedging of the pistonelement l5 Within the cylinder l 4. In order to facilitate such wedg-- ing action, by causing the wedge portion [5 to be forced against the wall of the cylinder [4, we have provided a compression spring [5 which causes automatic separation of the dovetail portions. In this manner, the element I 5 of the piston means is prevented from being withdrawn to any appreciable extent from the cylinder M.

Our operating means for simultaneouslyoperatingthe panels or windows from both sides oredges is applicable for operating windows other than the type shown. Such operating means, as disclosed, is applicable also, as'shown in Fig. 6, for o erating simultaneously all the windows of a battery by a unitary means or by a master hydraulic cylinder, and also for operating the window or windows from remote positions.

Thoughwe have shown and described a particular construction, combination, and arrangement of parts and portions-We do not wish to be limited to the same, but desire to include in the scope of our invention the construction, combination, and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim: l. A hydraulic device for operating nected to the window; a hydraulic cylinder having a piston meansmovable therein-said piston means including a first reciprocating piston 'and' a second piston freely slidable in. the cylinder;' and fluid pressure means for forcing said second piston outwardly against said first piston, the first piston being movableindependently of the second piston, the first piston comprising wedging elements positioned side by side in the cylinder,

one element being. directly connected to the movable member and adapted to wedge between the other wedge element and the adjacent wall of the cylinder when the first wedging element is withdrawn slightly from said cylinder by the movable ing a piston means movable therein; said piston means including a first reciprocating piston and a second piston freely slidable in the cylinder} fluid pressure-means for forcing said second'piston outwardly'against said first piston, thefirst .1 piston being movable independently of the second piston, the first piston comprising wedging ele- A a movable window, comprising: movable member conments positioned side by side in the cylinder, one element being directly connected to the movable member and adapted to wedge between the other wedge element and the adjacent wall of the cylinder when the first wedging element is withdrawn slightly from said cylinder by the movable member; and a compression spring positioned between the adjacent sides of the wedging piston elements for normally separating the same so as to force the wedging elements against the wall of the cylinder.

3. A hydraulic device for operating a movable window, comprising: a movable member connected to the window; a hydraulic cylinder; a piston reciprocable in the cylinder, said piston comprising a pair of wedge elements positioned side by side within the cylinder, said Wedge elements being located at diametrically opposite sides of the cylinder and being slidable longitudinally with respect to each other, one of said elements being connected to the movable member and adapted to be wedged by the other element against the wall of the cylinder when withdrawn slightly away from the last-named element by the movable member.

4. A hydraulic device for operating a movable window, comprising: a movable member connected to the window; a hydraulic cylinder; a piston reciprocable in the cylinder, said piston including a pair of wedge elements positioned side by side and at diametrically opposite sides within the cylinder and slidable longitudinally with respect to each other, said elements having engageable wedge faces inclined with respect to the axis of the cylinder, one of said wedge elements being connected to the movable member and adapted to be wedged by the other element against the wall of the cylinder when withdrawn slightly away from said other element by the movable member; and a compression spring positioned between the wedge elements and extending transversely of the cylinder for normally separating forcing the elements against the wall of the cylinder.

ANNANDALE CUTHILL.

JAMES C. MCBROOM.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,425,973 Kaucher Aug-15, 1922 1,737,649 Edsall Dec. 3, 1929 1,764,179 Loughead June 17, 1930 1,841,696 Andres Jan. 19, 1932 2,205,346 Clench June 18, 1940 2,259,815 Greve Oct. 21, 1941 2,284,669 Masteller June 2, 1942 2,312,412 Huber Mar. 2, 1943 2,338,069 Horton Dec, 28, 1943' 2,364,715 Horton Dec. 12, 1944 2,371,596 Amery Mar. 20, 1945 2,378,103 Rappl June 12, 1945 2,389,654 Werff Nov. 27, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,434 Great Britain Nov. 15, 1906 487,893 Great Britain June 28, 1938 

